The Newbie Fail Stories of Building a PC

My name is Michael and I have never built my own computer. Don't get me wrong. I've swapped out the occasional parts here and there, upgraded my RAM or installed an optical drive, but I have never gone through the trouble of sourcing out individual parts and building a PC from the ground up. I know. It's almost blasphemous for me to be a writer on Futurelooks, isn't it?

And so, I can almost relate some of the horror stories shared on Lifehacker about other people who have gone about building a PC and failed pretty hard. Some of the stories are from the perspectives of those writing in themselves and some are relaying stories about how their friends have failed. Some stories will make you laugh. Some will make you cringe or cry. But they're all worth a read.

One guy had his buddy mount the processor backwards, locking "the clamp down on it [and] bending almost all of the pins." Another guy fried his rig when he forgot to put the spacers between the chassis and the motherboard. And while many people have endured their share of scratches and scrapes while building a PC, few people gash themselves open on a case and have to be taken by an ambulance the hospital to get stitches.

Oh and do make sure the parts that you buy actually fit in the case that you have. Even I could have told you that. Check out the rest of the tales of PC building failure on Lifehacker.

About The Author

Michael Kwan is freelance writer and professional gadget geek. He's been reporting on the world of technology for years, playing countless console games along the way too. Be sure to check out his personal blog, Beyond the Rhetoric, for posts on freelance writing, personal development, entertainment, video games, and more. Follow him on Twitter too: @michaelkwan